


East of the Sun and West of the Moon

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, BAMF Allura (Voltron), F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 02:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11842503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a white bear, and there was a princess. Allura isn't really a princess of anything significant, and Shiro definitely isn't everything he seems. A Shallura fairytale retelling, of East of the Sun West of the Moon!





	East of the Sun and West of the Moon

 

               Once upon a time, there was a white bear, and there was a princess. She wasn’t a princess of anything more than the family hearth and the heart of her father, but her name was Allura, and she was the oldest of eight children, every one of them born for a point on the compass. And she, the first-born, was true north.

                That was where the bear came from.

                Allura wasn’t surprised, really. Her mother had warned her from childhood that north was the direction of danger just as much as adventure. Perhaps if her mother had been well, and the crops hadn’t rotted in the ground, she would have been cautious; perhaps if her brothers and sisters hadn’t been going to bed with empty stomachs and dirty faces, she would made wiser, or simpler, decisions.

                Instead, when the bear came to the door, its shoulders so large it barely fit, its black eyes unreadable yet searching, Allura bowed her head, stood aside and said, “If it’s food you want, there’s little to go around, but there’s a roof and a fire.”

                She could feel the horrified eyes of her parents on her. Perhaps it was spite that fueled her, or the wild north in her blood. But the bear simply pushed its way into the cottage, and instead of curling by the fire, moved to sit by the farthest wall, blocking the drafts of cold wind.

                Allura took her share of bread and water to it. “Where are you from?” she asked, but there was no answer. She offered the bread and water, but the bear refused. Instead, she lay her head onto its fur, and slept, and dreamt of the ice and snow.

* * *

               Once upon a time, there was a white bear who stole a princess, except she went willingly. The white bear asked if she would go with him in return for unending peace and prosperity for her family, and she said yes.

               So Allura climbed onto the white bear’s back, and waved goodbye to her family with a smile, and only when the white bear’s walk turned into a run did she allow herself to cry. “Is it forever?” she whispered, once it was too late to change her mind.

               The white bear shook his head. “A year is all you have promised me. I will not keep you against your will.”

               Allura wrapped her arms around his neck, and told herself she wasn’t afraid.

* * *

                Once upon a time, across an endless ocean and underneath a carpet of stars, there was a palace with walls of ice, filled with invisible servants. This was where the white bear took Allura after three days and three nights of travel. “Ring this bell,” he said, “and whatever you wish will be provided to you.”

                Allura rang the silver bell, and a feast of every food she had ever wanted to taste spread itself out in front of her. She turned to thank the white bear, but he was gone. So the second time she rang the bell, she wished for something with which to entertain herself – and a door opened in the wall. She opened it, and stepped into the grandest of libraries, with a thousand books on every shelf.

               The third time she rang the bell, she asked to see the white bear again, and he reappeared, as somber and curious as ever.

              “Whose palace is this?” she asked.

              “It is mine. Or at least, it is for now. For this year at least, it is yours as well.” There was a kindness in his voice, but also an incredible sadness.

               Allura touched the fur on his face. “My name is Allura. Do you have a name?”

               “I did once. You may call me Shiro.”

                It was a game of cat-and-mouse, half-answers and riddles, but Allura enjoyed it anyway. She found herself smiling. “All this wonder and glory and yet you’re still so sad.”

               “Not so much now. But…yes.” He hesitated. “Allura, would you tell me a story? I enjoy hearing your voice.”

               She sat down next to him, and curled her hands into his fur. “Of course. Where should I start?”

               That night, when she lay down to sleep in the darkness, a figure came down to lay beside her, and she was not afraid – for who else could it be but her white bear, taking off his pelt and sleeping in her bed?

* * *

                The months went by and so did the stories, but Allura found herself missing home more and more. Once nine months had gone by, Shiro found her staring out the window and asked, “Every day, you grow a little thinner, a little paler. Do you miss your home?”

                She nodded, despite her courage.

                The white bear hesitated, and she could hear the nervousness in his voice. “You could visit them – if you wanted.”

                “Oh! But – won’t you be lonely?”

                “Perhaps a little. I’ll miss you.”

                She kissed the top of his head. “I’ll miss you too.” And he carried her back to her family’s new home, a grand house with a beautiful garden in front. All of them were well-fed and well-clothed, the first time she’d ever seen them as such, and her mother was healthy and on her feet. All was well, and Shiro inclined his head, promising to return in a week.

                A few days into her visit, Allura’s mother pulled her aside, and asked her if Shiro treated her well. Allura didn’t think anything of it – she told her everything, including how the bear came to her at night.

                “He doesn’t _touch_ you, does he?” asked the mother, scandalized.

                “No, no! I don’t even see his face.”

                “How do you know what comes to you, then? It could be a demon, or the devil himself –“

                “I _know_ it’s him, Mother.” Yet, her mother’s words left a seed of distrust in her heart – and with it, a flicker of curiosity.

                Her mother gave her a candle stub before she left, and the parting words to at least _try_ to gaze upon her visitor’s face – for her poor mother’s heart, if nothing else. What harm could it do? And when Shiro came for her at the end of the week, she was pensive and withdrawn.

                “Did you enjoy your visit?” he asked.

                “Oh – yes – of course!” And he carried her back through the ocean to the castle of ice.

* * *

                Allura waited until the darkness came, holding her breath until the bed behind her dipped and she knew her visitor had come. She had the candle stub held to her chest, and a single match; in the end, it wasn't her mother's words that had persuaded her. Her curiosity had blown into a full flame; who was this white bear that had taken her to a place so beautiful and so lonely? And if she knew his face - perhaps she could help, through more than stories and simple company.

               So once she had gathered the courage, she lit the candle stub, turned around, and leant over the dip in the sheets - and stifled a gasp. It was her white bear - no doubt about it. But he was young and beautiful, with a single scar crossing his nose and black eyelashes resting on his cheek. In his sleep, he didn't look so lonely and restless - he was at peace. Before Allura could think about the consequences of her actions, or wonder what would happen next, she leant down, and brushed her lips over his, and three drops of tallow from the candle stub dripped onto his nightshirt.

               Immediately he stirred beneath her, and when she lifted her head, his eyes were blinking up at her - first in a sleepy comfort, and then in growing horror. "Allura," he said hoarsely, and it was his voice, slightly less grizzled, a little more human - "what have you done?"

              Her blood ran cold. In the distance, there was the sound of silver bells. "What's that sound?"

              "That is the Troll Queen, come to claim me as her prize. If you had lived with me for a year as my companion and never looked upon my face, her spell would have been broken -" He shook his head. "An impossible task. I'm sorry. You could not have known."

              Somehow, that didn't make it better. "Wait - are you leaving?"

             "Not by choice." He took her face in his hands. "My gifts to you and your family remain. They were freely given. But you must go home now, for my fate is sealed."

              "Shiro - where are you going?"

              But he shook his head. "You will not be able to reach the land of the Troll Queen. It lies east of the sun and west of the moon, far beyond any human reach." 

              He kissed her again, and it tasted of regret and things unsaid. The bells grew louder and louder with each passing moment. A shadow crossed the moon - the candle went out - and then, between heartbeat and heartbeat, her white bear was gone, and with him, the castle with all its beauty. The only things that remained were Allura, her candle-stub, and the silver bell.

* * *

             Once upon a time, there was a princess in a nightgown and bare feet, struggling across the snow, wiping the tears from her cheeks. The night was terribly cold, and she came close to collapsing more than once, but she could see the light in the distance of a small cottage, and eventually made it to the doorstep. Inside lived an old woman, and she let Allura lie by the fire until the ice had melted from her blood.

            "I must find the land east of the sun and west of the moon," Allura said, and the woman laughed.

            "No human has ever made it there alive, save those stolen by the trolls, and some would say death is preferable."

             Allura sat up, staring down the old woman. “I must find him.”

             “You play with forces beyond your knowledge.”

             “He saved the life and fortune of my family. I cannot condemn him to a life he does not want.”

             The old woman paused, and set her hands into her lap. “Then listen to me: Ring the bell you hold, and summon the four winds. They will tell you better than I how to get to the Troll Queen’s land. Once you are there, challenge the Queen. Trolls cannot resist a competition, although beware their temper when they lose.”

             Allura nodded. She took the silver bell from her pocket and rang it, and the four winds descended upon the old woman’s house. First, she asked the south wind if he knew how to reach the land east of the sun and west of the moon, but he did not. Then she asked the west and east winds, but neither of them knew either.

            Finally she turned to the north wind, who had purple eyes and cloaked himself in red. “Will you take me to the land that lies east of the sun and west of the moon?”

            He nodded. “In exchange, there is something I would ask of you. The seas of my domain are littered with dead ships; sailors curse my name. In return for the candle stub you hold, I will take you to the land of the Troll Queen – and I will not take it from you until you return, so that you may light your way home.”

             Allura nodded – then smiled, despite herself. “I’m glad _somebody_ thinks I will return.”

            “Stubborn minds,” the north wind said cryptically. Allura decided to take it as a compliment. So she climbed onto the back of the north wind, and he carried her up into the sky until the starlight caught in her white hair, and then farther north than she had ever been until the sun no longer rose.

            “Here, everything is ice,” the north wind warned, “even the hearts of the courtiers. Tread carefully, Allura, and remember that the Troll Queen will not let Shiro go easily.”

            “Shiro? You know him?”

            The north wind nodded. “I howl cold and lonely over the land and sea for those who cannot. How could I not know somebody such as him? Everybody is young compared to me but – he is older than many.”

            “How many years has he been cursed?”

            “Generations. Time ticks by differently for you.”

            The north wind took her to the door of the Troll Queen’s castle, and could go no further. So Allura went in by herself, and blended in with the maids, hiding herself as well as she could. Soon she heard about the upcoming wedding – that the Troll Queen was marrying a man from the human world.

            Allura thought and thought of how she could win back Shiro’s hand from the Troll Queen, but could think of nothing. However, soon, the Queen announced that on the three nights before the wedding, there would be a ball. So on the first night of the ball, Allura snuck away, took the silver bell from her cloak, and rang it. Immediately she was clad in noble clothing, and masked so that nobody would recognize her, or see her as anything but a troll.

           She joined the ball, blending in as best as she could. She could not understand their language, but before long, she saw him – standing tall and proud on the sidelines, looking just as confused as she was. She had only seen his face the once, but she would have recognized his eyes anywhere, and the solemnity of his stance. Even the way he scanned the crowd, standing apart from them with an uneasy grace, made her sure it was _her_ bear, just as lonely as ever even in a hall full of people.

           She made her way over – but nerves overtook her. “May I have this dance, my lord?” she asked, and when his eyes landed on her, he did not recognize her. How could he, with the disguise that the bell had given her?

           “I’m no dancer…but I suppose I should.” He smiled, although he still looked lost.

           “This is all for your wedding?”

           “Well – yes.” He took her hand. “I should be more excited. Instead I feel like I’m forgetting something.”

           Allura’s heart pounded in her chest. If only – But it was too dangerous, here. It was enough, she told herself, to have this dance with him –

           -but that night, she cried into her pillow, and knew it was not enough.

           The second night of the ball, she asked the bell once more to disguise her in the shape of a troll. She danced with him again, and he led her out into the ice-gardens of the Troll Queen, and she brought a smile to his lips – the first she’d ever seen.

           The third night of the ball, she finally came upon a idea – but she was afraid. “Do you want to marry her?” she asked, afraid of the answer.

           “The Troll Queen?” Shiro frowned, then cast his eyes downward, focusing on their dancing. “No. I – my memories are fogged over and distant, but there was – another. I think, perhaps, you remind me of her.” Then, as if he realized he’d said too much, he turned away.

            Allura took a deep breath. She stayed awake all that night, gathering her courage. Then when the morning broke, she strode into the hall of the Troll Queen, and approached her on her colossal throne.

           “Queen Haggar,” she said, loud and clear. “My name is Allura of Altea, and I am here to challenge you.” She rang the silver bell, and her disguise disappeared. Her white hair spilled down her back, bright as the stars in the sky, and she was not afraid.

            But the Troll Queen just laughed. “Challenge me? For what?”

            “For the hand of your groom. For almost a year, I ate with him, I lived with him, I slept by his side.”

            “But you did not meet the requirements.”

            “Have you?” Allura retorted, keeping her chin high. Perhaps she was a _little_ afraid, but she wouldn’t show it. A gasp of horror rippled through the crowd at her impudence, and she couldn’t help but be proud as the Troll Queen’s mouth twisted into a scowl. After a moment, the Queen sat back, purple skin flushed with indignation.

            “I accept your challenge, Allura of Altea,” she said with a wry smile. Her hair was just as white as Allura’s own, but it crackled like ice, every time she moved, and her eyes glowed like dark stars, lighting fires in the crags of her ancient face. “But I shall set the task for you, as I did for him so many countless years ago. And thus you shall prove your worthiness as a bride.”

            Allura nodded. The Troll Queen raised her hand, and a globe of ice appeared in her palm. Then it shattered –

           -and Allura was standing, barefoot and alone, in an endless field of ice. There was nothing to see, no voice to hear, and above her, not a star shone in the black curtain of the sky. Only the cold, bright moon – looking down at her like a watchful, heartless eye.

\---

               Once upon a time, and once again, there was a princess who found her bare feet breaking on the ice and snow, but this time she would not cry. She was stronger than that.

               The white bears came to her out of the darkness, eyes shining with the starlight they’d stolen from the empty night sky. Their coats were white against the blue and desolate ice, and their paws trod heavily but carefully as they approached her in a tightening ring.

               Allura rang the silver bell, but nothing happened. It had no power in this world of the Queen. Instead, she looked from bear to bear, recognizing the sadness in each of them. “You’re all trapped, aren’t you?” she asked, unable to stop her voice from breaking. “All of you.”

               The bears showed no sign that they’d heard, and as they got closer and closer, their teeth caught the moonlight, growls hissing from their mouths.

               “Please –“ She turned around, stumbling on feet she could barely feel… then paused. One of the bears was staring at her in a way she knew. “…It’s you,” she breathed.

               The bear didn’t respond. For a moment, she thought she might be wrong – but Allura took a step forward anyway. “Shiro. I know you.”

               This time, all of the bears stopped. The one she approached raised his head, teeth still bared but his eyes flickering with curiosity – and recognition? She hoped so.

               She closed her eyes, blocking out the dim light of the moon, and reached out her hand. “I’d know you in a thousand lifetimes,” she murmured. “In the day, and in the dark. In the shadows and the twilight.” A hot tear trickled down her cheek, then another, and another. “I came east of the sun and west of the moon to find you. I rode the breath of the north wind to the ends of the earth.”

                Her hand met flesh – warm, human flesh. Warm fingers rose to cover hers. She opened her eyes – and Shiro’s eyes met hers, grey and soft and full of love and memory and wonder.

                “And I will never, _never_ let you go,” she finished, blinking away tears. “Never again.”

                “I know you,” he echoed. “You came for me.” Then – “Allura. Your name is Allura.”

                The sky above them shattered with the Troll Queen’s scream of rage. Allura clung to Shiro, and as the troll court reappeared around them, she stood in front of him, her hands intertwined with his.

                “You – _dare!_ ” the Troll Queen screamed. There were other humans around her now, she realized, blinking with confusion. Their spells had also been broken. “You insolent _brat!_ ” She got to her feet, the light beneath her skin sparking and flaring.

                Allura reached into her pocket and pulled out the candle. She had no tinder to light it, but she held it high anyway, hoping for a miracle.

                The doors of the Troll Queen’s castle slammed open, and a monstrous wind blew through the court, knocking the troll courtiers on their feet. Allura’s hair flew around her face with the strength of it, and the candle in her hand sprung to life, the fire on its wick banishing every shadow and shade to the edges of the great hall.

                The North Wind appeared in front of them, facing the Troll Queen with clenched fists and bright eyes. “A challenge is a challenge, Haggar,” he said calmly. “You stole my North Star, but now Allura has won him back from you. Let him go, or I swear –“ and he lit up bright, brighter than she could look at directly – “I will sink your entire kingdom into the ocean.”

                Haggar growled, but sat down, simmering in rage. “You are free to go. _All_ of you.”

                The North Wind smirked. “That’s what I thought.”

                So they climbed onto his back – Allura, Shiro, and the freed victims of the curse. High up into the sky they rose, and Shiro began to glow just as brightly as the North Wind, and Allura asked with fear, “Will you return to the sky?” – for it was him who was the North Star, trapped and cursed for so many years.

                But Shiro shook his head. “The sky is a lonely place. I’ve had my fill of loneliness – and I would miss you so terribly.”

                 So Allura lifted up the candle, and placed it in the firmament, and it flickered high and bright over the cold sea. “A promise is a promise.”

                 Then the North Wind carried them back over the endless ocean, for three days and three nights, until they were home.

\---

                Once upon a time, there was a princess who was not a princess, and a white bear who was a fallen star.

                And they lived happily ever after.


End file.
